Long-term Nuclear Knowledge Management (NKM) of Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems (INES); A Case study of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI)

Yanagisawa, Kazuaki; Bezdek, R. H.*; Sawada, Tetsuo*

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 50(2-6), p.683 - 687, 2008/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2007.11.057

Within JAERI, funds invested in a 45 years study of LWR totaled 4.2 billion dollars (bd) for research and 3.4 bd (34,718 man years) for personnel. The benefits to taxpayers from this JAERI work was estimated to be about 6.3 bd, resulting in a favorable cost benefit ratio of 1.5. JAERI is a national research institute and this figure may be regarded as sufficiently high, and many high risk and complex tasks were completed successfully. Commercialized HTGR hasa retail cost of 0.36 bd a year and the share of JAERI is 0.018 bd a year. Estimate is that after commercialization of FR in 2050, a FR will generate revenue from electricity as high as 1,687 bd during the period from 2050 to 2100 which is greater than that of LWR. However, there is substantial uncertainty in these estimates. To achieve long term INES, it is necessary to develop the sustainable scenarios and the long-term robust NKM, as shown in the present study.